emotion

noun

emo·​tion i-ˈmō-shən How to pronounce emotion (audio)
1
a
: a conscious mental reaction (such as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body
b
: a state of feeling
c
: the affective aspect of consciousness : feeling
2
b
obsolete : disturbance
Choose the Right Synonym for emotion

feeling, emotion, affection, sentiment, passion mean a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation.

feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it.

the feelings that once moved me are gone

emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling, encompasses both positive and negative responses.

the drama portrays the emotions of adolescence

affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings.

a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family

sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea.

her feminist sentiments are well known

passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion.

revenge became his ruling passion

Examples of emotion in a Sentence

a display of raw emotion The defendant showed no emotion when the verdict was read. She was overcome with emotion at the news of her friend's death.
Recent Examples on the Web Listening to her daily needs has given her a more evident mindset, allowing emotions of uncertainty to be released gracefully. Celeste Polanco, Essence, 13 Mar. 2024 But Jason and Travis Kelce have regularly put their emotions on full display. Lindsay Talbot, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 When times were especially difficult, Hughes poured her emotions into a journal. Georgea Kovanis, Detroit Free Press, 12 Mar. 2024 One student would appreciate a more robust description of the protagonist’s emotions, but enjoys the sparseness, too. Maya Binyam, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Similarly, her lyrics humanize characters whose negative emotions would likely cause men to dismiss them. Vrinda Jagota, SPIN, 11 Mar. 2024 With O’Connell’s encouragement, Eilish figured it out and tapped in from her own emotions. Tatiana Tenreyro, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 Using Soul Machines’ proprietary camera and microphone technology, Digital Marilyn is able to read user emotions, analyze preferences, and tailor her responses accordingly, the company stated. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2024 Even if the characters don’t express much emotion, their connections are not rendered any less moving. Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'emotion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from emouvoir to stir up, from Old French esmovoir, from Latin emovēre to remove, displace, from e- + movēre to move

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Time Traveler
The first known use of emotion was in 1579

Dictionary Entries Near emotion

Cite this Entry

“Emotion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emotion. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

emotion

noun
emo·​tion i-ˈmō-shən How to pronounce emotion (audio)
1
: strong feeling : excitement
2
: a mental reaction (as anger or fear) marked by strong feeling and usually causing physical effects

Medical Definition

emotion

noun
emo·​tion i-ˈmō-shən How to pronounce emotion (audio)
1
: the affective aspect of consciousness
2
: a state of feeling
3
: a conscious mental reaction (as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body compare affect
emotional adjective
emotionality noun
plural emotionalities

More from Merriam-Webster on emotion

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